One man, one allegation, but two resignations under two chief ministers — this sums up the past two years of B Nagendra’s political career.
DK Shivakumar is new to the chief minister’s post; however, neither the corruption allegation nor the BJP’s onslaught is brand new. The same allegation had forced B. He was entrusted with the Scheduled Tribes Welfare portfolio, and he was closely associated with the Valmiki Corporation.
Because of the BJP’s relentless campaign against him over a corruption allegation, the Congress leader had to step down from DK Shivakumar’s Cabinet in Karnataka. Nagendra out of Siddaramaiah’s cabinet in 2024. It was in May 2023 that Nagendra became a minister for the first time.
But his re-induction brought fresh headaches for the chief minister, as the BJP renewed its attacks on the government in the Valmiki Corporation case.
The death and the suicide note stirred a political storm in Karnataka, with the opposition BJP demanding the minister’s resignation. DK Shivakumar’s elevation as the chief minister of Karnataka after a brief power struggle with Siddaramaiah came as a second wind for his career. He got the Planning and Statistics portfolio.
Nagendra was re-inducted into the Karnataka Cabinet on August 3, 2026, after Shivakumar reshuffled the Cabinet.
